1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a container for packaging articles and, more particularly, to a container for releasably retaining contoured articles containing hazardous substances.
2. Background Art
Containers for packaging articles have been known in the art for many years. In particular, containers have long been used in the storage and transportation of hazardous materials. Typically, these containers comprise a base, four sidewalls attached to the base, and a lid. In addition, because hazardous articles require some degree of stabilization to comply with certain hazardous materials shipping regulations, these prior art containers have utilized different ways to stabilize the hazardous material containing articles. For instance, some of these prior art devices have relied upon the tight fit of the articles inside of the container for a secure fit. Others, in contrast, have used a divider to apportion the interior of the container into different sections. Still others have used cross sectional inserts into which holes are cut to match the size of the hazardous material containing articles.
Although these and other prior art containers have worked well, they have failed to protect hazardous material containing articles from impact imparted upon the top of the article when the container is jarred, impacted, or flipped during transportation and movement. Thus, it is a goal in the art to provide a container which stabilizes hazardous material containing articles in compliance with the United Nations Hazardous Materials Standards. Specifically, it is desirous to provide a container which prevents hazardous material containing articles from moving in the horizontal, vertical, and rotational planes, thus preventing both impact imparted to the top, bottom and sides of the articles from outside, as well as to prevent impact imparted from one article to another.
Furthermore, it is a goal in the art to provide a container apparatus of the kind specified which allows for great ease in loading and unloading hazardous material containing articles into and out of the container--for greater safety and speed in handling and transporting the articles.
Moreover, it is generally a goal in the art to provide a container apparatus of the kind specified above which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, as well as simple to assemble.
Finally, it is always a goal in the art to provide a container apparatus constructed from a substantially unitary blank of material so as to minimize the material waste associated with manufacturing such containers from blank configurations.